


Cleaning Day

by brookebond



Series: Almost Home [2]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Kid Fic, Other, just Arthur and Theo at home together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-25 15:18:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14381403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brookebond/pseuds/brookebond
Summary: Arthur and Theo attempt to clean





	Cleaning Day

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this purely because I wanted to distract myself from the fact that I really need to be cleaning myself.  
> Imagine this is set just after November and before Christmas in this 'verse.
> 
> Thank you so much amy for having a look at it and reminding me not to torment people with things that don't get explained!

“Thirteen,” Arthur called as he sent another stack of outdated private information through the shredder.

“What?” Theo yelled, poking his head into Arthur’s bedroom.

“Thirteen,” Arthur repeated, taking a moment to look at his nephew. Somehow, Theo had managed to get dust all through his curls and had put his cape—it was a yellow day—galoshes, and a pair of underpants on over his pyjama pants.

“You said you weren’t going to count again.”

“Did your closet explode?” Arthur turned to Theo properly, debating whether or not he needed to stage an intervention. If Theo looked as he did, there was every possibility his bedroom was even worse and that was something Arthur wasn’t looking forward to. He’d only suggested the cleaning day as something to occupy Theo while Arthur dealt with things he’d been putting off for far too long. Now he was entirely regretting every decision that had led to this moment with Theo’s underpants on the outside like some sort of demented Superman.

“Arthur,” Theo whined. “I want to go outside.”

“I know, buddy. But it’s raining too much, we’ll both get sick and then that’ll ruin Christmas.”

Theo sighed heavily, his whole body sagging under the effort. “Can Mr Eames come over?”

Arthur tilted his head, smiling softly at Theo. It had only been a few days since Eames had last been over but it had been a farewell of sorts. Arthur had discussed it with Theo and had thought he’d made it clear. “Eames is in England, remember?”

“Oh.”

Arthur had to agree with Theo’s sentiment. His and Eames’ relationship was starting to find solid ground, gain traction in department’s other than staring at each other and laughing awkwardly when they were caught out. They hadn’t made it further than making out. Arthur hadn’t let him get carried away by the sensations of Eames pressed against him, no matter how desperately he’d wanted to. And he had _desperately_ wanted to. Just remembering the last time Eames had been there had Arthur’s fingers twitching for his phone just to see if Eames was awake.

“Can Ariadne come over then?” Theo asked, thankfully distracting Arthur from doing something stupid.

“I can ask. Yusuf might be with her.”

“That’s okay. I like him.” Theo nodded and disappeared without another word. Even though they’d been living together for months, Arthur wasn’t sure he was ever going to get used to Theo’s mercurial tendencies. He hoped the kid grew out of it, settled into something a bit calmer.

A loud crash and several softer thuds followed by Theo calling out “I’m okay” had Arthur bolting from his seat, panic welling as he imagined Theo stuck under a partially collapsed ceiling.

Instead of wood and bits of plaster covering Theo, he was surrounded by the containers of toys Arthur had spent the past week filling and tidying away.

“I think we’re done cleaning,” Arthur sighed, picking his way through the debris to rescue Theo.

“Really?” he asked, brightening up instantly and accepting Arthur’s help to pick his way through the mess.

“Yes, really.” Arthur settled Theo in the doorway and crouched to his level. “You go get my phone, ring Ariadne, and I’ll see about this.” Theo was off like a shot, skidding along the wooden floors as he rounded the corner to Arthur’s bedroom.

Arthur stood and turned, hands settling on his hips as he surveyed the mess. “Fourteen,” he called.

“Arthur,” Theo whined as he wandered back from Arthur’s room, completely focused on the phone in his hands.

Arthur shook his head, smiling softly and resolving to stop counting how many times he had to clean Theo’s room for him. “I am never letting a six-year-old clean by himself again.”

“That means you’ll never count again,” Theo exclaimed, face lighting up. “I win.”


End file.
